Monthly Archives: April 2014

Today, ecumenical and inter-religious relationships flourish in many places, both despite, and also because, of continuing tensions and oppressions of various kinds. Whilst still misunderstood by some, such relationships can do much to heal the wider ills of the world … Continue reading →

Hail Aotearoa New Zealand! In 1893, New Zealand was the first independent country to give women the vote in modern times. Pitcairn Island did in 1838, but was not self-governing; nor was the Isle of Man which enfranchised female ratepayers … Continue reading →

No one writer can represent, or be the focus, of a whole movement. This is certainly true for first-wave feminism. As it moved from what Jane Rendall (in The Origins of Modern Feminism) called ‘dynamic evangelicalism’ into a more ‘secular … Continue reading →

Some things, such as sexuality and women’s ordination, were steered clear of by most first-wave Christian feminists. Even when they supported changes, most held back, in the interests of nurturing more conservative support for issues which were more ‘practical politics’ … Continue reading →

Ever been told that you need to be less concerned for your own issues, more patient and gentle or that your call for justice or freedom needs to be subsumed beneath ‘unity’ and ‘peace’? Join the long line of others … Continue reading →

A prominent feature of first-wave feminism was its spectacle, once it had the courage to break into public space. A striking aspect was the frequent appearance in demonstrations of suffragists dressed as figures such as Joan of Arc, complete with … Continue reading →

Sometimes a circuit breaker is needed to change the course of history, even in a great movement full of an immense variety of courage, intelligence and virtues. For the women’s suffrage movement, such a catalyst was Emmeline Pankhurst. If the … Continue reading →